The Wandmaker's Granddaughter
by Purplemoonsong
Summary: The first book in the Wandmaker's Granddaughter series. Mira Ollivander is the famous Garrick Ollivander's genius granddaughter. She does not have any friends, so she hopes to make some in Hogwarts. What happens when she meets the famous Harry Potter?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Book One: The Sorcerer's Stone

~Mira Ollivander~

I am Mira Ollivander. I'm short for my age, and I'm eleven. I have black hair and black eyes.

That's right. Garrick Ollivander, the famed wandmaker, is my grandfather. I live with him, because Voldemort's Death Eaters killed my mom and dad.

I'm not scared to say his name. He killed my parents. I have every right to say his name. I don't understand why everyone is afraid of him.

Because my grandfather is a wandmaker, I've learned all I could about wands and wandlore. Now, I can understand what a person is like just by knowing what wood their wand is made of, how long it is, the core, and flexibility.

I'm starting school at Hogwarts this year. I hope that I can make some friends, as I don't have any right now…


	2. Chapter 2

"Mira!" My grandfather calls. I walk down the stairs.

"Yes, Grandfather?"

My grandfather, Garrick Ollivander, smiles at me. "Ah, you're here. Have you gotten all your school supplies?"

"Yes. Everything except a wand."

"Come, then. We'll need to leave in about two hours." He leads me to the shelf of wands.

"Mmm… here. Acacia, brittle, dragon heartstring, eleven inches."

I wave it. A glass lamp explodes.

"No, no." Grandfather fetches another wand.

We go through about fifteen wands. Grandfather's face turns happier when each wand rejects me. Finally, he brings out a wand in a beautifully decorated case.

"Those were all possibilities." Grandfather smiles. "But I'm sure that this one will choose you. It's one of my experiments: a mix of rowan and silver lime, unyielding, phoenix feather, nine and three quarters inches."

When I hold it, I feel a rush of warmth through my whole body. Grandfather smiles.

"It's beautiful, Grandfather." I hug him. Then, I put my wand into a hidden pocket in my sweater.

Grandfather uses side-along apparition and brings me to platform nine and three quarters. I hug him, and he hugs me.

"Have a good year in school!" He smiles, and then turns to leave. I roll my luggage trolley towards the train, just as another cart bumps into my cart.

"Sorry!" I hear a male voice gasp. A hand reaches towards me to help me up. I pick up the cage with my barn owl, Nova. She hoots indignantly as I carefully place her cage on top of my trolley. Then, I turn to see a boy with black hair and green eyes staring concernedly at me.

"Hello, Harry Potter." I make sure Nova's cage door is secure.

"How did you know my name?" He stammers.

"Your scar betrays your identity. Plus, I've seen you before."

"Where?" Harry pushes his glasses up his nose. I see that they're broken.

"My grandfather's shop, Ollivander's. I saw you buying your wand. It was holly, phoenix feather, and eleven inches. Nice and supple."

"Were you spying on me?" He demands.

"No. I follow my grandfather's trade as wandmaker. I remember every wand he sells."

"Oh." He holds out his wand. I take it, examining it.

"Hmm." I smile. "It tells me quite a lot about you."

"Can you tell me?" Harry asks eagerly.

"Perhaps later. Keep it safe, Harry. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." He waves half-heartedly, staring at his wand. I leave to stow my luggage away. After stowing away my luggage, I try to find a compartment. When I find the last empty one, I sit down, and read one of my favorite books, _Making Wands_ by Garrick Ollivander. I finger the pouch of money in my pocket as I read about the "supreme cores."

"Do you mind if I sit here?" I look up to see Harry peering at me.

"Not at all." I gesture to the seat opposite to me.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours." He says, sitting down as I put my book away.

"I'm Mira Ollivander, Garrick Ollivander's granddaughter." I reply, smiling.

"Now we know something about each other!" He grins at me as the train begins to move.

"Have you read the schoolbooks yet? I did."

"No, I haven't." He looks thoughtfully at me. "Should I have?"

"It's not required, if that's what you really are asking." I reply.

"I think you're amazing." Harry shakes his head in disbelief. "You must be the smartest person in the whole world."

"My grandfather says that I was born into a line of geniuses. He's a wandmaker, and his wife was the best in her class. My mom and dad were the best in their classes, too."

"You talk a lot about your grandfather, but not your mom and dad."

"They're dead." I look at my lap.

"I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, my parents are dead too." He whispers, touching my hand.

"Thanks." I smile. Just then, the compartment door opens.

"Do you mind? Everywhere else is full?" A boy with freckles and shockingly red hair asks, nervously.

"Not at all." Harry and I say simultaneously.

"I'm Ronald Weasley, Ron for short." Ron beams at us.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry announces. Ron's eyes grow round.

"The Harry Potter?" He splutters.

"Yes, that's me." He brushes his bangs away from his eyes.

"And you are?" Ron turns to me.

"I am Mira Ollivander."

"Ollivander's granddaughter? I've heard about you! They say you're a genius of the highest degree!"

"That's me." I sigh. "Can I see your wand, please?"

"Oh, okay." He hands over his wand. "Unicorn hair's poking out, and it's a bit chipped, but…"

I twirl it in my hands expertly and examine it. "Ash, unicorn hair, twelve inches. Ah, I can't tell the flexibility. It's too battered." I fix Ron in one of my stares. "Did this wand really choose you?"

"No, it was my brother, Charlie's." He mutters, taking his wand back from me.

"Interesting. It tells me a lot about your brother." I smile.

"Can you tell me?" Ron says, eagerly. He reminds me of Harry.

"She probably won't." Harry shrugs. "She wouldn't tell me about my own wand, let alone another person's."

"It's alright, Harry. I'm guessing that Charlie has a new wand, am I correct?"

"Yes." Ron nods vigorously.

"Then this wand may not correctly portray what he is like now, but it will portray what he was like while he possessed it. Why did he give it to you?"

"He went off to Romania to work. Mum was so proud, she allowed him to buy another one. I got this one."

"Mmm. Your brother was stubborn, very stubborn. He had a rather normal personality, I believe. Strange… Unicorn hair provides the most consistent magic, so I'd say your brother might be a very steady person… does this describe you?"

"Maybe." Ron's ears turn pink as he fingers his wand.

"That's amazing." Harry says in a hushed voice. "Now can you tell me?"

"Not now." I sigh, leaning back in my chair.

At around half past twelve, a woman pushing a trolley comes.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She asks.

Ron mutters something, holding up a sandwich. Harry buys a little of everything, and Ron looks at him enviously.

"Go on, take some. You too, Mira." Harry gestures to the food.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're in safe hands (though I have none),

For I'm a thinking cap!"

The sorting hat finishes its song, and I smile at Harry and Ron. Professor McGonagall walks next to the sorting hat, holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Professor McGonagall holds up the parchments. "Abbott, Hannah!" The girl runs up and puts on the hat.

"Hufflepuff!" The hat shouts. She takes off the hat and goes to the Hufflepuff table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

And so it went on.

"Granger, Hermione!"

I notice the particularly bushy haired girl running up and jamming the hat eagerly on her head. I smile. Her face looks intelligent… hopefully we'll be good friends.

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouts.

And so it went on, until my name is called.

"Ollivander, Mira!"

"Did she say Ollivander?"

"The genius girl?" People whisper behind me as I ascend the steps and put on the hat. Hermione is looking at me keenly.

"Hmmm… a wise one, plenty of brains, filled with knowledge…" the hat mumbles. "This one is difficult… there's talent, interesting… where to put you? I know… Gryffindor!"

I smile, and put the hat back on the stool. I walk over to the Gryffindor table.

"Are you really Ollivander's granddaughter?" A red haired boy that looks like Ron asks me imperiously.

"Yes, I am. I assume you are one of the Weasleys?"

"I'm Percy." He shakes my hand. "I hope you'll enjoy being in Gryffindor house."

"Hello, Mira!" Another Weasley boy shakes my hand. His twin stands next to him, grinning. "I'm Fred, he's George. We're hoping you can tell us a bit more about our wands, later."

"Of course." I nod. Then, I feel someone tap my shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger." She sticks out her hand, and I shake it. "I hope we'll be good friends, since we're both… intellectual."

"I hope so too." I smile.

"Potter, Harry." Professor McGonagall calls out. He ascends the steps rather nervously.

The sorting hat takes quite a bit of time, but eventually…

"Gryffindor!" Harry jogs over and sits next to me. I watch the other people get sorted. Ron makes it to Gryffindor, and the last person is sorted into Slytherin.

"Good job, Ron." Harry whispers. Hermione seems transfixed on Harry's face. After all, she is meeting the famous Harry Potter for the first time. I don't blame her.

Professor Dumbledore rises from his chair. "Welcome! Welcome to a new year in Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sits down again.

"Is he a bit mad?" I hear Harry asking Percy. I gaze at the many different types of foods in front of me. Everything looks delicious. There's roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs.

I take some Yorkshire pudding, some roast beef, a roast potato, peas, and peppermint humbugs. I spread ketchup on my potato, and begin eating.

"So, Mira, what do you do in your spare time?" Hermione asks, biting into a lamb chop.

"I read. I talk to my grandfather. I make wands."

"Anything else?" Her eyes glint.

"Well, I do have a passion for fortune cookies." I admit. "I love fortune cookies, and I make my own. Unfortunately, as we are magical folk, the fortunes seem to come true."

"I'd love to have one of them." Hermione says, popping a peppermint humbug into her mouth.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I dig into my backpack and bring out a fortune cookie.

"It's edible, and I hope you find it good to eat." I pass it to her. She takes a small bite, then another, bigger bite.

"It's wonderful." She gushes, pulling out the piece of paper. After reading it, her eyebrows knit together and she turns to me. "It says: a friendship will come wrapped in peril."

I nod, once. She turns to her food, lost in thought.

"What subject are you looking forward to?" Percy asks me.

"I've heard of transfiguration, it sounds interesting." I say. "But both charms and potions sound good, too. My father is a friend of Professor Snape."

"Hope that it earns you favor." Percy says, darkly. "He's not very nice to Gryffindors."

"And that's putting it mildly." Fred Weasley chimes in, chewing some fries.

"Well, I've seen Professor Snape before. He was very nice to me. I even gave him a fortune cookie."

"I hope it said something nasty would happen to him. Did it?"

"I don't know. He didn't share it with us." I finish my potato and move onto the roast beef and peas. "So, what are the classes like?"

"Transfiguration is interesting." Percy says, eating his bacon. "But you'll start small, like transfiguring needles."

"What about potions?"

"The first potion you make is very simple." Fred rolls his eyes. "A cure for boils."

Professor McGonagall interrupts us. "Mira, if I may have a word, please."

I stand up and follow her, leaving my friends looking perfectly bewildered.

"Now, Mira, we know that you are an advanced student." Professor McGonagall presses her lips together tightly. "You will be participating in class with other students, but we will be giving you lessons outside of your regular lessons. Your grandfather has already been alerted of this. It will not matter if you do not complete your regular class homework, but you will need to complete your homework for your other lessons. So, you may work on your homework during your regular class. We understand your bloodline, and you are the most intelligent child that has come to this school. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor." I say, nodding my head. Her face softens a little.

"I was unhappy when I heard what happened to your parents. They were good people." She sighs. "Back to the banquet, Mira."

I walk back to my seat and stare at my almost empty plate. Sighing, I take a bite of Yorkshire pudding.

"What did McGonagall say?" Harry asks.

"I don't want to talk about it." I reply.


	4. Chapter 4

As we finish eating, the food vanishes. After a moment, the desserts appear. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor your could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, cakes, candies, meringues, and much more.

I take a slice of chocolate cake that is topped lavishly with sugar, icing, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. As I eat, I listen to the ongoing conversation about families.

"I'm half and half." Seamus says. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

As Neville begins talking about his family, I continue eating my cake. After swallowing a strawberry flavored jellybean, I notice Harry clutching his forehead.

"Are you okay?" I ask, concernedly.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" He replies, staring at the High Table. "Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

"Oh, that's Professor Snape." Percy replies, pompously. "He teaches potions, but everyone knows he doesn't want to. He's after Quirrell's job: defense against the dark arts.

Soon enough, the desserts vanish. Professor Dumbledore rises from his seat, and clears his throat. "Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should know that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And, a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flash in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for his or her house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And, finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Besides me, I hear Harry laughing. "He's not serious, is he?" He asks Percy.

"He must be." Percy replies, frowning. "It's odd. Usually he gives us a reason why. I wish he would have told us prefects, though."

I yawn as we walk into the Gryffindor common room. Nova sits next to my bed, and I quickly scrawl a letter to Grandfather.

Dear Grandfather,

I am in Gryffindor house.

Love,

Mira

I tie it to Nova's leg, and watch her fly off into the night. Then, I change into my pajamas and brush my teeth.

Hermione waits as I finish brushing my teeth. Then, I collapse into my bed, and stare at the canopied top of my bed.

Harry Potter… in the flesh. Those beautiful sea green eyes…

~Harry Potter~

I stare up at the canopied top of my bed. Mira Ollivander… Garrick Ollivander's granddaughter…

She has such intelligent black eyes. Her hair… it's so glossy and silky… Her skin is beautiful and creamy…

_I have a crush on Mira Ollivander._

With that thought, I drift off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

I smile in satisfaction as I walk into the Great Hall with Ron. Today was the first day I haven't gotten lost. Yet.

"What do we have today?" I ask Ron as we sit down. Mira is reading a book. I grab a piece of toast and some marmalade.

"Double potions." Ron groans. "With the Slytherins, and Snape's head of Slytherin house. They say he always favors them. We'll be able to see if it's true."

"Yeah." I stare gloomily into the marmalade bowl. Just then, Hedwig lands on the table with a letter for me. I take the letter from her and open it.

"What does it say?" Ron asks, stuffing his mouth with a sausage.

"Hagrid wants us to meet him today, around three. Do you want to go?"

"Sure!" Ron swallows. I write a quick reply back to Hagrid, and Hedwig flies off with it.

After eating our breakfasts, Ron and I make our way down to the dungeons, where potion is. As Snape begins the roll call, he stops at my name.

"Ah, Potter. Our new… celebrity." He stares at me, and then finishes the roll call. "Potter!"

"Yes, sir?" I ask.

"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Mira and Hermione's hands go up.

"I don't know, sir." I swallow. _He hates me. I can feel it._

"Tut, tut. Fame clearly isn't everything. Mira?" He sneers, turning to Mira.

"They make up a sleeping potion so powerful, it is called the Draught of Living Death." Her quiet voice fills the dungeons.

"Five points to Gryffindor." Snape favors Mira with a smile, and a nod of approval. "Now, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

Mira and Hermione's hands go up.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you didn't need to open a book before coming, Potter?" His voice is soft and menacing, and he turns to Mira again.

"The bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat. It will save you from most poisons." Her voice fills the room again. People begin staring at her, and whispering.

"Good. Another five points to Gryffindor." Snape says, turning back to me. "What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stands up, her hand quivering in the air. Mira's hand goes up as well.

"I don't know, sir. But I think Hermione does, why don't you try her?" I reply, quietly.

"Sit down!" Snape snarls at Hermione. "Mira, why don't you tell us?"

"There is no difference. Wolfsbane and monkshood are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite."

"Five points to Gryffindor. Well? Why aren't you writing this down?" Snape demands. Everyone, including Mira and Hermione, begin writing. "A point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."

As the lesson continues, Snape puts us into pairs and sets us to mixing a simple potion to cure boils. Mira is working alone, and soon enough, her potion glows a beautiful blue color. She bottles it in a beautiful crystal vial, while Snape praises her, much to the resent of Malfoy, who glares at her.

Snape begins to tell everyone how Malfoy and Mira stewed their horned slugs, when clouds of green smoke fill up the dungeons. A nasty smell comes with it.

When the smoke clears, I see that Neville somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron. Boils begin popping up on his nose.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarls, clearing away the potion with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire." Neville whimpers, as Snape orders Seamus to take him to the hospital wing.

"Potter! Why didn't you tell him to take the cauldron off the fire? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." He spits, turning away. I'm about to protest, but Ron elbows me.

"Don't push it. I've heard that Snape can turn very nasty."


	6. Chapter 6

~Mira Ollivander~

"Professor Snape?" I approach Snape as the class ends. He smiles.

"Yes, Mira?"

"When is my private class with you?"

"Ah. Well, I'm not sure. Professor Dumbledore has it. Speaking of which, he wants to see you."

I swallow. "Am I in trouble?"

"No." He rises. "He didn't say why, but he made it clear that you weren't in trouble. I'm to lead you to him." He sweeps out of the dungeons, and I follow him.

Soon enough, I'm sitting before Dumbledore in his study. Fawkes sits next to me, and I stroke his feathers.

"I trust Severus made it clear that you are not in trouble." Dumbledore offers me a meringue, which I accept.

"Yes, sir, he did."

"Well, worry no more. First off, I have your schedule." He pushes it towards me. "Those are all the teacher available that night. I know you will not abuse your choice."

"Yes, sir."

"Secondly… I trust that you are confused as to why you were placed in Gryffindor."

"Yes. I thought I'd be placed in Ravenclaw!"

"Well, the Sorting Hat and I had a discussion. He says that you are remarkable. You are the only person in this school that could have been placed in all four houses. Much like Miss Granger. She could have been placed in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. But, the Sorting Hat has reasons of its own. After all, Miss Granger isn't particularly brave, but she ended up in Gryffindor, didn't she?" His lips curl up in a smile. "Which is why, you can choose to sit with whichever house you want. Though, I'm sure you'd like to stay with Gryffindor."

"Yes, sir." I finish my meringue.

"I have a question for you, Mira. Did you take a potion that increases your brain power?"

"No. I was born this way."

"Very well. You may leave." I rise from my seat and walk to the Great Hall.

"Hello." I jump, startled, my books falling to the ground. I notice Harry leaning against the wall.

"Harry!" I gasp.

"Hi, Mira." He picks up my books for me and hands them to me. "So, what did Dumbledore want?"

"Nothing." I reply, taking the books back from him.

"What this?" He holds my schedule.

"Give that back!" I snatch it back from him.

"You're learning advanced material?" Harry looks at me.

"Yes." I feel my cheeks growing hot, and I wait for him to start teasing and belittling me like those other boys did.

"That's brilliant." I stare at him, startled.

"What?" I gasp.

"That's brilliant." He gives me back the schedule. "Will you help me with homework?"

"Sure." I smile.

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"I was scared…" I glance at him.

"Scared of what?"

"I was scared you'd make fun of me." I admit, staring down at my feet.

"Look, Mira, I'd never make fun of you. You can trust me." He stares into my eyes.

"That's what they said, too." I whisper, and I run down the hallway, to my next class.


	7. Chapter 7

I walk into the Great Hall at breakfast time. I sit down next to Hermione. She's pointedly ignoring Harry and Ron. She told me last night. I open up my homework journal, ticking off the ones I've already done.

"So, do you want to tell me exactly what happened to you?" I give Ron and Harry my razor-sharp glare. They both swallow nervously.

"Well…" Harry fidgets. "I am the Gryffindor-"

"Yes, I heard, you're the new seeker. What were you doing last night?" I lean forwards, staring at them.

"Malfoy challenged us to a midnight duel. We went…"

"And, we found out where the package from vault seven hundred and thirteen is!" Ron concludes, triumphantly.

"Where?"

"In the forbidden corridor."

"What?"

"Yes… we went there, and we saw the three-headed dog." Ron says, unashamed. Harry lowers his eyes.

"_Langlock_." I point my wand at Ron. He tries to speak, but then frowns. He clutches his throat, making a shrill noise. Harry frowns at him.

"What's wrong with him?" Harry asks.

"His tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth." I reply, taking a bit of toast.

"Can you remove it?"

"In due time." I glare at Ron.

On Halloween morning, I wake up, yawning. I sniff, smelling a heavenly aroma of pumpkin. I jump out of bed and dress. Hermione yawns, getting out of bed.

"What's got you so excited?" She asks, curiously. She knows that I'm taking advanced classes, since Harry and Ron told her, before she got angry with them.

"Nothing. I love candy." I smile.

The first bit of the day is uneventful, until Professor Flitwick decides that we can use the levitation spell. I demonstrate for the class.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!" The feather begins to float up in the air. Everyone claps, and I let it come back down. Then, the rest of the class begins trying.

"Mira, you can work on other homework, you have none from me!" Professor Flitwick beams at me. I pull out the roll of pale lilac parchment that I love, and I begin writing my transfiguration essay.

"Oh, well done!" I look up, startled, as Professor Flitwick begins congratulating Hermione. "Well done!"

I can see Ron sitting next to her, looking very grumpy.

At the end of class, I walk with Harry and Ron out of the classroom. Ron rants about Hermione. I see her knocking into Ron purposely, tears on her face.

"Ronald Weasley!" I shout. Ron's face turns white.

"Please, not that spell again…" He mutters.

"I swear, Ronald Weasley, I'll send you a howler!" I pull out my wand.

"Don't be mad!" Harry says, hastily.

"Believe me, Harry, you've never seen me really angry." I glare at Ron. "For your information, Ron, she does have friends! I'm her friend!"

"Oh…" Ron trails off.

"So, you are insulting both her and me. Which is sufficient enough that I can jinx you. _Tarantallegra_!"

Instantly, Ron's feet begin to dance. He lets out a cry, clinging onto Harry as his feet begin to dance a jig.

"Help!" He shouts, as I run after Hermione.

A few hours later I find her in the girl's bathroom.

"Go away." She sobs.

"Hermione." I utter, sternly. "Look at me." She lifts her teary face, and looks at me.

"Am I your friend?"

"Yes…" She says, hesitantly.

"Then why are you crying? You have friends!" I exclaim.

"But not enough." She sobs. "Harry is so popular."

"He's a celebrity." I reply.

"People like Ron."

"He's an idiot, Hermione. Don't pay any attention to him." She gives me a grateful smile. "Ready to go back?"

"Okay." She exhales, wiping her eyes. I smile, leading her to the Great Hall.

"Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Hermione hesitates. "What's that smell?"

I hear a low, guttural snuffling sound. A huge shadow looms on the wall before me. My body goes rigid. _Oh, no… it's a troll…_


	8. Chapter 8

I stare at the looming shadow in front of me, and begin slowly backing away.

"What is it?" Hermione whispers.

"A troll." I hear her breath catching in her throat.

"What should we do?" She hisses.

"Hide." I whisper. We tiptoe to different hiding places. I hide in one of the bathroom stalls, while she hides under the sinks.

Then, the troll rounds the corner. Twelve feet tall, with skin dull, granite, grey, it looms above me. Its body is lumpy like a boulder, with a small head perched on top, like a coconut. It has short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it is almost enough to cause me to fall into unconsciousness. It carries a huge wooden club in its long arms.

It sniffs, and then turns towards me. My eyes widen, and I hold my breath. My hand gropes for my wand. There's a slight rustle of cloth as I begin to pull out my wand. Instantly, his club comes towards me at a great speed.

~Harry Potter~

I pull the door to the Girl's bathroom open, and Ron and I run inside. Hermione is shrinking against the wall opposite to us, looking as if she's about to faint. The troll is advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it lumbers towards her. Mira is lying on the ground, her eyes closed. I see a nasty bump on her forehead, and I realize that the troll must have knocked her out.

"Confuse it!" I shout to Ron, desperately. I seize a tap and throw it as hard as I can against the wall. The troll stops a few feet from Hermione. It turns around, blinking stupidly, to see what made the noise. It blinks when it sees me, and begins walking towards me, raising its club.

"Pea-brain!" Ron yells, throwing a metal pipe at it. The troll turns, hearing the yell.

"Come on, run!" I shout at Hermione, trying to pull her towards the door. But she seems to be frozen in terror, her mouth open.

The yells seem to be driving the troll berserk. It roars, loudly, and starts towards Ron.

I run towards the troll, and jump onto it, fastening my arms around his neck from behind. Unfortunately, I also stick my wand up his nose.

Howling with pain, the troll twists and flails his club, and I hand on for dear life.

The next thing I know, the troll's club flies out of his hand, rises high into the air, and turns over slowly. Then, it drops, straight onto the troll's head. It sways, and then falls flat on its face.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asks, as I get to my feet.

"I don't think so." I reply, removing my wand from his nostril. "I think it's just knocked out." I wipe my wand on the troll's trousers.

Then, I hear loud footsteps coming towards us. _Oh, no. The teachers…_

~Mira Ollivander~

I open my eyes, and wince. My head feels so sore. I sit up, noticing that I'm in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey walks over.

"Ah, you're awake." She sniffs. "Professor McGonagall would like to talk to you."

"Mira." She looks at me sternly. "You've been unconscious for the night. Now, Harry, Ron, and Hermione have given me a reason for taking on the troll, but I'd like to hear the truth."

"Hermione was sad. I found her in the bathroom." I swallow. "Is there anything to drink?"

Professor McGonagall hands me a glass of water. I take a sip. "I was talking to her. When we were about to leave the bathroom, we saw the troll's shadow. We hid. It came into view. I was going to take out my wand, but it heard me. Then, it must have knocked me out."

"I see." Professor McGonagall nods. "Very well, then, Mira. You may leave when Madam Pomfrey deems fit."

"Yes, professor." I sigh, leaning back against the pillows, glad for some rest.


	9. Chapter 9

Christmas is coming. I awake, and glance outside of the window, yawning. Then, my eyes widen in surprise. The grounds are covered in several feet of snow, and the lake is frozen solid.

Over the last few months, Hermione and the boys have become friends. Harry had his first Quidditch match, against Slytherin. Snape was cursing Harry's broomstick, causing it to buck around. After the match, we talked about it to Hagrid. He revealed that the three-headed dog is his, and its name is Fluffy. He bought it from a Greek wizard, and it's guarding something. Hagrid accidentally told us that there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved with this. We've been searching him up in the library ever since that incident.

I'm staying in Hogwarts for Christmas, as Grandfather is going on a trip to visit some friends. Harry and Ron are staying, too. Hermione is going home to visit her parents.

I dress, brush my teeth, comb my hair, and walk downstairs into the Gryffindor common room. "Morning, boys."

"Hi, Mira!" Harry says, cheerfully, removing a marshmallow from his toasting fork. I smile and pull out a book, _Guide to Advanced Occlumency_.

"Hi." Ron mumbles through a mouthful of English muffin. He swallows, and then turns to Harry. "Do you want to play Wizard's chess?"

"What's that?"

The next few days, Ron dedicates himself to teaching Harry how to play Wizard's chess. Harry seems okay with it, but he's not a very good player.

On Christmas morning, I wake to find a pile of presents on the ground. The first present is a stack of books, from my Grandfather. There's a note from him, too.

_Dear Mira,_

_Merry Christmas. I'm sorry I couldn't spend Christmas with you. I hope you enjoy the books._

_Love,_

_Grandfather_

I smile, and open the next present. It's from Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mother. It's a large box of homemade fudge. I try a piece, and I find that it's very tasty.

The next gift is from Hermione: another stack of books, a new quill, and a box of peppermint humbugs. I smile, putting my presents away and walking down to the Gryffindor common room.

"Merry Christmas!" I say.

"Did you send this to me?" He hands me a note. I frown, reading it.

"No. Why?"

"The person who wrote that gave me an invisibility cloak."

"Interesting." I reply. "And here, I got you gifts."

I hand Harry the book I got for him, _Quidditch Through the Ages_, and I give Ron a book as well, _Flying with the Cannons_.

"Thanks!" Ron smiles, giving me a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Harry gives me a box of Chocolate Frogs.

"Thanks." I smile.

The Christmas dinner is spectacular. A hundred fat, roast turkeys, mountains of toast and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy, and cranberry sauce, and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet down the table.

I walk into the Gryffindor common room, my arms laden with things out of the crackers. A new set of wizard's chess, luminous balloons, three books, several crystal vials, and a single diamond necklace.

For the rest of the day, I curl up in an armchair near the fire, reading.

~Harry Potter~

I throw the invisibility cloak over me, and walk down to the Gryffindor common room. I see Mira, curled up in an armchair. I freeze. Is she awake?

I creep over to her, and I see her, sleeping, her hand still holding a book. I smile at her peaceful and beautiful face. Then, I creep out of the common room, and out of the portrait hole.

"Who's there?" The Fat Lady squawks. I pay her no heed.

The whole of Hogwarts is open to me in this cloak.

~Mira Ollivander~

"The Mirror of Erised." I say, trying to help Harry comb down his messy hair. "Oh, Harry."

"I wish I could forget what I saw." Harry sighs. "I'm having nightmares."

"I'm sorry. Maybe I could make a potion for you." I put the comb aside and sit next to him.

"Thanks, Mira." He gives me a grateful smile.

"So, what else is going on?" I ask, beginning to brew a sleeping draught. I take four sprigs of lavender from my potion ingredients and drop them into my mortar.

"Snape is refereeing the next Quidditch match." I drop two measures of the standard ingredient into my mortar.

"Well, I can't say that he will be impartial." I reply, crushing the ingredients in the mortar.

Then, Neville topples into the room, his legs stuck together. It must be the Leg-Locker Curse. I let go of the pestle, and perform the countercurse.

Harry rushes over to him and says something to him, handing him a Chocolate Frog. Neville smiles at him, weakly, then gives the Chocolate Frog card back to Harry.

Harry gasps, staring at the back of the card.


	10. Chapter 10

"I've found him!" Harry whispers. "Listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his word on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel!'"

I grab a large, old book out of my backpack. "I never thought to look in here. I checked this out a few weeks ago, for some light reading." I shrug. "I always remember what I read."

I flip through the pages. "Here it is. Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone."

They look at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"The Sorcerer's Stone." I read the passage out loud for them. "The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.

"There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)."

"That's why Snape wants it!" Harry whispers, his eyes shining. "A stone that makes gold and stops you from dying!"

The day of the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff comes. I refuse to watch it, saying that I need to study for our exams. I am studying for my test, but I'm also researching the defensive spells that could be used to guard the Sorcerer's Stone.

"Harry, where have you been?" I look up, startled, to see Ron talking to Harry.

"I followed Snape into the Forbidden Forest." He says, breathlessly. "We're right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone. Snape is trying to force Quirrell to help him get it."

"So, you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione whispers, her face terrified.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Ron says, glumly.

However, Quirrell must be much braver than they thought. In the following weeks, he did seem to be thinner and paler, but it didn't look like he'd told Snape yet.

Harry and Ron are content to worry about the Stone. However, Hermione has more on her mind.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away!" Harry says, exasperated.

"Ten weeks." Hermione snaps. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

I set my book down. "I need to tell you something." I admit.

"What is it?" Hermione asks.

"I won't be taking the exams for first-years. I'll be taking a test for fifth-years."

Harry and Ron gape at me. Hermione claps her hands. "What will you do in your fourth year, then?"

"I'll be free to pursue a career that I want." I shrug. "I'll probably stay in Hogwarts and help out."

"That's awesome." Harry grins. "You can help us."

"I'll probably become a tutor." I shrug. "I'll help out students that are falling behind."

"You'll definitely need to help Neville." Ron grins, too.

"Yes." I smile.


	11. Chapter 11

~Harry Potter~

Her black hair falls over the front of her book as she reads intently. I sigh, staring at her dreamily.

"Harry!" Ron hisses, noticing my staring. "You're supposed to be studying for exams, not studying Mira!"

"I'm not sorry." I mutter, still staring at Mira.

"Look, almost everyone knows you have a crush on Mira." Ron whispers, sounding exasperated.

"Everyone?" I hiss in alarm, turning my gaze onto Ron.

"No, not Mira. But everyone can see the way you look at her! If you really like her, why don't you ask her on a date?" Ron rolls his eyes.

"Seamus tried." I whisper back. "Remember? She told him that she wouldn't date anyone until her third year."

"Well, then you get two years to make a good impression on her!"

"What are you two boys talking about?" Hermione says, crossly, finishing her homework. "Harry, the cure for boils does not include dragon's blood."

At that moment, Hagrid comes into view, saving me from Hermione's reproaches.

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Ron asks. Hagrid appears to be hiding something behind his back.

"Just looking." He says in a shifty voice. "And what're you lot up to? You're not still looking for Nicolas Flamel, are you?"

"Nope, we found him ages ago." Ron says. "And we know what the dog, Fluffy, I mean, is guarding, it's a Sorcerer's-"

"Shh! Don't go shouting about it!" Hagrid looks around quickly to make sure that no one is near us.

"Well, there are a few things we want to ask you." I set my books aside. "Like, what's guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, and-"

"Shh!" Hagrid hisses again. "Look, come and see me later. I'm not promising I'll tell you anything. Just don't go telling everyone!" And he shuffles away.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione asks, frowning at his back.

Ron throws down his quill. "I'm going to see what section he was in." He stands up and leaves.

A few minutes later, he comes back, with a pile of books.

"Dragons!" He hisses, slamming the books onto the table. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at all these books!"

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him." I reply, looking at one of the books.

"But it's against our laws!" Ron protests.

"Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709." Mira says, absentmindedly.

"Exactly!" Ron whispers. "It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in our back gardens! Anyways, you can't tame dragons! It's too dangerous! You should see the burns Charlie gets off wild ones in Romania."

"So what on earth is Hagrid up to?" Hermione narrows her eyes as Ron and I shrug.

"Are you done studying?" Mira asks, closing her book. "Or will we stay for a little longer?"

"I'm studying." Hermione says, quickly. "Can you check my homework, Mira?"

I sigh, and resign myself to an afternoon of studying.


	12. Chapter 12

~Mira Ollivander~

We found out what Hagrid was up to. He'd somehow managed to obtain a dragon, and he was raising it. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't keep it.

All four of us made a plan to send Norbert, the dragon, to Charlie, Ron's brother, in Romania.

Norbert bit Ron, and his hand began swelling. I was with Madam Pomfrey, learning healing by caring for Ron. Hermione and Harry had to deliver Norbert.

It was a catastrophe. After sending off Norbert, they were caught, along with Neville and Draco Malfoy. All four of them were sentenced to detention. A hundred and fifty points were taken from Gryffindor, in total.

They served their detention, and they found some horrifying news: Voldemort was near Hogwarts.

And now, we are headed to where Fluffy is guarding the trapdoor. Hagrid let slip that Fluffy will go to sleep if you play him some music.

"We're at the third-floor corridor." Ron whispers. I nod. We're all under the invisibility cloak, so no one can see us.

Hermione opens the door. Fluffy growls at us, his noses sniffing in our direction, even though he can't see us.

"What's that at his feet?" Hermione whispers.

"It's a harp. Snape must have left it there." Ron whispers back.

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing." Harry murmurs. "Well, here goes nothing."

He blows on the flute Hagrid gave him. It wasn't really a tune, but the dog's eyes begin to droop. Then, it slumps to the ground, fast asleep.

"Keep playing." Ron warns Harry, pulling off the cloak. He creeps towards the trapdoor, and opens it.

"What can you see?" Hermione asks.

"Nothing, just blackness. There's no way to climb down, we'll just have to jump." Ron peers into the darkness. Harry waves his hand to get Ron's attention, and points to himself.

"Oh, okay, you can go first." Ron says. "Give the flute to Mira so she can keep him asleep."

Harry hands the flute to me, and I immediately begin to play. Harry drops into the hole.

"It's okay! You can come down, it's a soft landing!" I hear his voice coming up. I keep playing, as Ron and Hermione jump down.

After they jump down, I quickly jump into the hole, tossing the flute through the door.

"We must be miles under the school." Hermione says.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really." Ron says.

I immediately get up and struggle towards a damp wall, kicking free from the snakelike tendrils twisting around my ankles. Ron, Hermione, and Harry's legs are already bound tightly in long creepers.

They fight to pull the plant off them, but the more they strain against it, the faster it wound around them.

I rack my brains for the name of the plant. _Devil's Snare!_ "Stop moving!" I order. "It's Devil's Snare! Now be quiet while I remember how to kill it." I think for a moment, and then pull out my wand, muttering a spell under my breath.

The plant cringes away from the light that I make, and it unravels itself from their legs.

"Thanks, Mira." Harry pants, staring at the plant.

"Let's go." I light my wand, and begin walking down the hallway.


	13. Chapter 13

"Ron, too?" Harry mutters, setting an unconscious Hermione next to Ron. Hermione knocked herself out, trying to get the winged key, while Ron was knocked out in the giant wizard's chess game.

"We all have to make sacrifices." I remind him. "Let's go. We have Quirrell's and Snape's left."

He nods, and pushes open the door in front of us. A disgusting smell fills my nostrils, and I pull my robes over my nose. My eyes water, and I see in front of me, a troll even larger than the one we fought before. Luckily, it's unconscious.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one." Harry mutters, pushing open the next door. There are seven differently shaped bottles standing on a table in front of us.

"Snape's. What do we have to do?" Harry mutters.

We step over the threshold, and immediately, a fire springs up behind us in the doorway. It isn't ordinary fire, either. It's purple. At the same time, a second fire, black this time, shoots up in the doorway leading onwards. We're trapped.

I notice a rolled up piece of parchment next to the bottles. I grab it.

"What's that?" He asks. I unroll it, and read the words written on it.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Three among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side,_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend,_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides,_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right are_

_Twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

"Lovely." I murmur. Harry looks at me in confusion.

"How will we get out?" He asks.

"The smallest bottle will lead us through the black fire." I reply.

"There's only enough there for one of us." He says, staring at the tiny bottle. His eyes narrow in thought. "Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"

I point at the rounded bottle and the right end of the line.

"You drink that." He nods at it.

"Harry, no, you can't-"

"No, listen. Get back and get Ron and Hermione. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, and they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold off Snape for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

"But what if Voldemort's with him?"

"Well, I was lucky once. I might get lucky again."

I stare into his emerald eyes for a moment. I nod once, and pick up the round bottle.

"You know that I let you believe what you wanted to, don't you?" I say, turning the bottle in my hand.

"What?" He asks.

"You'll understand in a moment." I reply. I drink the contents of the round bottle, and can't suppress a shudder.

"It's not poison, is it?" Harry asks.

"No, but its like ice." I reply, and then I walk through the purple flames.

I know he'll figure out what I meant when I said that I let him believe what he wanted to.

The person inside that room isn't Snape. It's Quirrell. If it was Snape, he could have just removed the spell for the purple and black fires, instead of drinking the potions. But the troll was knocked out… Harry heard Quirrell talking to someone when there was no one there…

My suspicions were only just confirmed.

I can't tell him. He won't believe me.

I hope he won't be in terrible danger.

But I know he will be.


	14. Chapter 14

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore says cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts..."

It's the end of year feast. Harry survived his encounter with Quirrell. He told me that, and we're all happy. Except for the fact that Gryffindor ranks last in points.

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy- two." Cheers break out from the Slytherin table.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, however, recent events must be taken into account." At this, the room goes very still.

"I have a few last minute points to dish out, ahem, let me see… yes…

"First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen for many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." Cheers break out from our table.

At the end of all the announcements, Gryffindor house is in the lead.

I'd almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both Harry and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. I had the best grades of the fifth years, much to Hermione's jealousy. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one.

And suddenly, our wardrobes were empty, our trunks packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays.

Hagrid took us down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake. We were boarding the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier, eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats, and then pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

"You must come and stay this summer." Ron says. "All three of you, I'll send an owl."

"Thanks." Harry says. "I'll need something to look forward to."

"There he is, Mom, look!" It's Ginny, Ron's younger sister, pointing at Harry.

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." Mrs. Weasley smiles down at us. "Busy year?"

"Very." Harry replies. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Ready, are you?"

It's Harry's uncle, looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Harry's aunt and cousin are with him.

"You must be Harry's family!" Mrs. Weasley says.

"In a manner of speaking. Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." Harry's uncle walks away.

"See you over the summer, then." Harry says.

"Hope you have a good holiday." Hermione says, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, seeming shocked that anyone can be that unpleasant.

"Oh, I will." Harry says. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."


	15. Chapter 15

Book Two: The Chamber of Secrets

I sit at the counter in my grandfather's store, waiting for customers. Grandfather is busy making some new wand, and he wants me to mind the store for him. He promised that when Harry, Hermione, and Ron came, I could go.

"Mira!" Harry waves at me from out of the window. I nod at him, smiling, and turn to face Grandfather.

"They're here, Grandfather. I'm going now."

"Alright then. Have a good time!" He says, and I fly out of the shop and tackle Hermione with a hug.

"Oh, be careful!" Hermione gasps.

"How was your summer?" I ask, helping her up.

"Good." Ron grins. "I rescued Harry."

"I'll tell you all the details later." Harry puts in, hastily. "Now, come on, let's go."

We begin walking around Diagon Alley, happily examining shop windows. Harry buys four large strawberry and peanut butter ice creams, which we eat happily. We buy new ink and parchment at a shop. The shopkeeper, knowing who I am, gives me several rolls of my favorite lilac parchment. He also hands me a set of different colored inkbottles.

An hour later, we reach Flourish and Blotts. To Harry, Ron, and Hermione's surprise, there's a large crowd of people in front of it.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squeals, referring to the banner announcing that Gilderoy Lockheart, the wizard who's written almost all of the books we're required to buy this year, is signing copies of his autobiography. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

I sigh, shaking my head. I can't understand her obsession with Gilderoy Lockheart. It's not that he's not good looking, but I think there's something fishy about him.

We squeeze into the bookshop, and they each pick up a copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Two._ Then, we walk up to where the Weasleys are standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Hermione's parents.

"Oh, there you are." Mrs. Weasley says, breathlessly, patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute."

I roll my eyes internally. _She's another Lockheart fan._

Finally, we can see Gilderoy Lockheart. He's seated at a table surrounded with large pictures of his own face. The real Lockheart wears blue robes that match his eyes, and his pointed wizard's hat is set at a jaunty angle on his wavy blonde hair.

Suddenly, he looks up, and spots Harry. "It can't be Harry Potter!" He shouts, diving forward and seizing Harry's arm. He then begins a long rant about himself, and finally tells us all that he will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.

That's great for Hermione, but I don't think I'll learn much this year… at least, not from him.

Harry staggers away from him, holding the complete works of Gilderoy Lockheart. He walks over to Ginny, and I follow him.

"Here, you have these." Harry mumbles to her. "I'll buy my own."

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco Malfoy drawls, suddenly appearing next to him. "Famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Leave him alone, Malfoy." I hiss, drawing my wand. "He didn't want all that."

"No underage magic." He reminds me, his eyes fixed on my face, a sort of hungry look in them.

"Well, unfortunately for you, the Ministry decided to bend the rules for me." I snap. "I'm perfectly capable of turning you into a toad, which is more than you deserve."

Ron and Hermione make their way over, both clutching a stack of Lockheart's books.

"Oh, it's you." Ron says, distastefully. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here."

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley." Malfoy retorts. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

Ron goes scarlet and begins heading for Malfoy, but Hermione and Harry restrain him.

"Another insult, Malfoy, and you'll be a toad." I hiss, twirling my wand expertly. He turns slightly paler, and takes a step back.

"Ron! What are you doing in here?" Mr. Weasley, with Fred and George, fights his way through the crowd and stands before us. "It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley."

Mr. Malfoy, Draco's father. This is not good.


	16. Chapter 16

"Where are they?" I ask.

We're in Hogwarts now, having arrived by train, but we weren't able to find Harry and Ron. I don't know for sure what happened to them, but I have a few guesses.

"I don't know." Hermione says, her brow furrowing. We walk up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.

"There they are!" I gasp, pointing to Harry and Ron, standing before the portrait.

We race towards them, and Hermione immediately begins bombarding them with questions and exclamations.

"There you are! Where have you been? There have been the most ridiculous rumors, saying that you were expelled for crashing a flying car!"

"We haven't been expelled." Harry assures her.

"You're not telling me you actually did fly here?" Hermione narrows her eyes at them.

"Skip the lecture." Ron snaps. "And tell us the new password."

"It's 'wattlebird,' but that's not the point-"

She's interrupted, as the portrait of the fat lady swings open, only to reveal a whole crowd of people clapping.

"Brilliant!" Lee Jordan yells. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people will be talking about that one for years!"

People surround them, congratulating them. Hermione and I roll our eyes, and push upstairs to go to bed.

In the morning, I get up early and walk to the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall walks over to me as I take my seat.

"Miss Ollivander, there have been some changes made to your schedule." She hands me a new schedule. "This year, you will no longer be in class with the rest of the second years. Instead of having you take your real classes at night, we have decided that you will simply join your sixth year classmates."

"Yes, Professor." I examine my schedule. Then I put it into my well-organized backpack.

I eat two slices of toast, complete with jam, and some ham, and I walk towards my class.

At lunch, Harry and Ron have much to talk about. Hermione seems to be friendly towards them again, so I listen.

"A howler!" Ron moans in shame. "I'll bet everyone heard it!"

"I'd be surprised if they didn't." Hermione says, a bit loftily.

"Cheer up, Ron. It'll pass." Harry assures him. "Meanwhile, what do you think about Lockheart?"

"He's an idiot." Ron mutters.

"He is not! He's done so many things, they're all written in his books, like-"

"All the things he claims he's done." Ron mutters to Harry.

"What've we got this afternoon?" Harry says, by way of changing the subject.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione replies.

"Why have you outlined all of Lockheart's lessons in little hearts?" Ron demands.

Hermione blushes, shoving her schedule back into her backpack.

I roll my eyes. _Why is everyone crazy about Lockheart?_

_There's something suspicious about him._

_How could someone have done so much?_

_He doesn't seem to have any magical powers at all._

_Hmm…_

"I have to go to my class." I stand up.

"Wait, Mira." Harry says, grabbing my arm. "Why weren't you at class this morning?

"I'll explain after classes, okay, Harry?" I say. "But I really need to get going."

"Okay. Bye!" He calls after me.


	17. Chapter 17

When October arrives, a damp chilliness sweeps over the grounds and the castle. I like taking walks in the morning now, as it's not hot. Though it rains a lot, I don't mind. Dancing in the rain early in the morning is always fun.

Harry and Ron have served their detentions. Before that, Ron attempted to curse Malfoy, because he called Hermione a mudblood. I hate that boy. Unfortunately, Ron's wand wasn't working properly, and the curse backfired on Ron.

I walk along the edge of the lake, letting the raindrops fall on me in a soothing rhythm. I sigh, bending down to pick up a smooth white rock. With an expert twist of my wrist, I send the stone skipping along the lake.

"Nice throw." A drawling voice says behind me. I whirl around, only to see the one and only Draco Malfoy.

~Draco Malfoy~

"Malfoy." She spits at me, her dark eyes meeting mine. I flinch at the sight of them, and then compose myself.

"Hello, Ollivander. Having a bad day?" I say, smoothly. _She's so pretty. I wish that she didn't hate me._

"Yes, I am, now that you're here." She snaps. I wince inwardly, regretting my actions towards her before.

"You're not still mad about that, are you?" I say, flashing one of my winning smiles at her.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

"Yes, I am still mad at you about that, Malfoy." She snaps.

"Come on, Mira-"

"Don't call me Mira!" She pulls out her wand.

"Okay, now put that away." I say, looking at it warily.

"Is he bothering you?" Another voice calls. She whirls around to see Cedric Diggory, a fifth year.

"Yes, he is." She gives me a hate filled look over her shoulder. "But I was leaving anyways."

"I'll walk you back to the castle." Cedric says, a wry smile playing on his lips. A flare of jealously erupts in my heart.

"No, thank you." She says, shoving her wand back into her robes as she walks back towards the school.

"Leave her alone." Cedric says to me, sharply, once she's out of earshot.

"Or what?" I cock an eyebrow at him.

"Look, she's the smartest witch in the world, and one of the prettiest. She'll have her pick of wizards when the time comes. You really think she'll choose you over the others?"

"Well, I have a year to make a good impression on her." I reply, folding my arms over my chest.

"We'll see about that." Cedric replies, his eyes flashing. Then he turns away and stalks back to the castle.

~Mira Ollivander~

_Who does that Malfoy boy think he is? He has the nerve to come up to me after all he's done?_

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the miserable memories. But it doesn't work.

_I clutch the flower in my hand, and throw it into the air. I watch it gently float down into my hand, before blossoming._

_I giggle, tossing it back into the air to repeat the process. The instant it leaves my hand, the flower closes._

_"That's a nice trick." A blonde haired boy peeps at me from over the wall. He must be my neighbor._

_"Thanks." I reply. Then I twirl the flower in my fingers, and watch it fly in a circle around me._

_"How did you do that?" He asks._

_"I don't know. It just comes naturally for me."_

_"Liar. You must have a trick." He says. "I'm a pureblood wizard, and I can't do that."_

_"I really don't know!" I say, glaring at him. "And what does pureblood have to do with anything?"_

_"It has everything to do with magic!" He snaps. "Why? Are you a mudblood?"_

_"No, I'm not muggle-born."_

_"Liar." He jumps over the wall, landing safely on our side. He strides across to me, and slaps me across the face. I clutch my cheek, staring at him._

_"I'm not lying!" I say, indignantly. "What was that for?"_

_In response, he slaps me again. "For lying."_

_"I'm not!" I whimper._

_"Draco!" A voice calls from over the wall. "Where are you?"_

_"I'll be back." He hisses, and climbs back over the wall._

_I sit down and cry, resolving to never go outside again._


	18. Chapter 18

Clutching my head, I push to the front of the crowd, wondering why Harry, Hermione, and Ron weren't at the feast. I just heard a horrible voice saying something about killing.

Then, I see it. Hanging from its tail by a torch bracket, Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. There's a large pool of water under it, and written on the wall next to Mrs. Norris is: _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware._

There's utter silence around me. Then, Draco's shouting breaks it.

"Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, mudbloods!" His normally cold eyes alive, his usually bloodless face flushed. He grins at the sight of the cat.

"What's going on here?" Filch pushes through the crowd. At the sight of his cat, he falls back, clutching his face in horror. Then, he spots Harry.

"I didn't do anything!" Harry says, backing away from the furious man.

"You've killed my cat!" Filch screeches. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"Argus!" A voice booms. Everyone turns to see Dumbledore, and a number of other teachers behind him. He sweeps past the crowd and takes Mrs. Norris off the torch bracket.

"Sir, I didn't-" Harry begins, but Dumbledore silences him with a look.

"Argus, come with me. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger, follow me as well."

Lockheart steps forward eagerly. "My office is nearest, headmaster, please feel free-"

"Thank you, Gilderoy." Dumbledore says smoothly, and begins walking upstairs. "Oh, Ms. Ollivander, you may come too." He adds, over his shoulder.

I rush towards my friends. "What happened?"

"We didn't do anything!" Harry whispers. "She was already like that when we got there."

"Where were you?" I ask.

"At Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party." Ron says, looking sadly at the half-eaten lollipop in my hand.

We reach Lockheart's office. Lockheart lights the candles on his desk, then stands next to Dumbledore. Dumbledore stoops over the cat, his nose barely an inch away from her fur. His long fingers poke the cat.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her, probably the-"

"Gilderoy." Dumbledore says, calmly. Lockheart immediately shuts up. "Ms. Ollivander, please come over here."

I walk over to him, as he straightens up. "Now, Ms. Ollivander, this is a test. Please tell me of the condition of this cat."

I examine Mrs. Norris, and then turn to Dumbledore. "She's petrified, not dead."

"Ah! I thought so!" Lockheart exclaims.

_Rubbish. You thought she was dead!_

"But I don't know how she's been petrified." I look up at Dumbledore, only to see him nodding.

"Good job, Ms. Ollivander. As a matter of fact, I do not know as well."

"Ask him!" Filch shrieks, pointing at Harry.

"No second year could have done this." I say, quietly.

"If I might speak, headmaster." Snape says, from the shadows. "Perhaps Mr. Potter and his friends were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why was he not at the Halloween feast?"

"We were at the deathday party!" Hermione says. Harry and Ron nod in agreement. "There were hundreds of ghosts there, they'll tell you we were there."

"But why go to that corridor? Why not the feast?" Snape asks.

"We were tired and wanted to go to bed." Harry stutters out.

"Without supper?" Snape asks, a triumphant smile flickering across his face.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore says, quietly. Snape's triumph drains from his face as quickly as the water goes down a drain.

"My cat has been petrified! I want some punishment!" Filch shrieks.

"We can cure her." I say.

"Yes, Ms. Ollivander is quite correct. Professor Sprout has managed to procure some mandrakes. As soon as they reach their full size, I will have a potion made to revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it, I've must have done it a hundred times!" Lockheart interrupts. "I could whip it up in my sleep."

_As if. You boast a lot about your accomplishments, but you never actually do anything. _

"Excuse me, but I thought I was the potions master here." Snape says, icily.

"You may go." Dumbledore says to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I. We leave the room, and begin walking towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Did you hear the voice?" Harry asks me.

"I did."


	19. Chapter 19

~Harry Potter~

"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short!" Ron snorts, furiously. Professor Binns, our History of Magic teacher, asked for a three foot long essay on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."

"How much has Hermione written?" I ask, grabbing the tape measure.

"Four feet and seven inches."

"Where's Mira?" I ask.

"She's over there. Reading, as usual." Ron points. "She's having a free period now."

"Is she done with her homework?" I frown at my essay.

"Yes, it takes her almost no time at all. She's not challenged anywhere. The teachers are accelerating her to seventh year material now."

"So she'll be done with schoolwork by this year?" I frown.

"Yes." Ron replies, just as Mira stands up and shuts her book.

"Hi Mira." I swallow, feeling my heart race.

"Hello." She says, tucking her long hair behind her ears.

"Mira, will you help me?" Ron asks, holding out his essay.

"If I continue to do all your homework for you, you'll never learn anything." She replies.

"Come on, just this once?" Ron begs.

"No. I've told you, three times a month. This is your fourth time asking me."

"Do you know anything about the chamber of secrets?" Hermione asks Mira, appearing next to us.

"Yes." She replies.

"Tell us!" Hermione begs.

"As you know, the founders of the school worked in harmony for a while." Mira says, as we nod, knowing this already. "But then a rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. He wanted to be more selective with the students admitted into Hogwarts. To be more specific, he did not believe that anyone muggle-born should be allowed in this school. A serious argument sprang up between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school.

"However, some say that Slytherin built a hidden chamber in this school. The other founders knew nothing of this. It is said that only his heir can open the chamber. The heir alone could open this chamber and unleash the terror within upon people who were unworthy to study magic."

_Slytherin's heir can open the hidden chamber._

_But the Sorting Hat considered putting me in Slytherin!_

_What if it's me?_

"Harry, are you alright? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine." I mutter, a sick feeling in my stomach.

"Do you want to go examine the scene where Mrs. Norris was petrified?" Hermione asks, her eyes glittering.

"I'd better get to my next class." Mira says, gathering up her things. "Good-bye, everyone."

Then she walks away.

"So, shall we?" Hermione asks again.

"It can't hurt." I mutter.

Hermione leads the way to the corridor.

"Look, scorch marks!" I cry, pointing to them.

"Oh, come look here!" Hermione says suddenly.

I get up and walk towards her. Hermione is pointing at the topmost pane on a window, where there are around twenty spiders. They're scuttling, fighting to get through a small crack.

"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" Hermione asks.

"No." I reply. "Ron, have you? Ron?"

I turn around, only to see him standing well back. He seems to be fighting the impulse to run.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I don't like spiders." Ron says, tensely.

"I never knew that!" Hermione says in a surprised tone. "You've used spiders in Potions lots of times.

"I don't mind them dead." Ron replies. "I just don't like the way they move."

Hermione giggles.

"It's not funny!" Ron shouts. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick. You wouldn't like it either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs!" He shudders, and Hermione falls silent.

"Let's go eat." I say, loudly. Hermione nods.


	20. Chapter 20

~Mira Ollivander~

"Who can it be?" Hermione asks me in a low voice. We're in the Gryffindor common room, discussing the Chamber of Secrets.

"Oh, let's guess!" Ron says in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy-" Hermione begins.

"Of course I'm talking about Malfoy!" Ron snaps. "You heard him!"

"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" Hermione says, skeptically.

"Look at his family." Harry joins in. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin. They could easily be his descendants; his father's definitely evil enough."

"They could've had the key for centuries! Handing it down from father to son…" Ron exclaims.

"Well, I suppose it's possible." Hermione mutters.

"But how do we prove it?" Harry replies.

"Polyjuice Potion." I reply.

"What?" Hermione stares at me.

"It's perfect. We can use it to get into the Slytherin common room, and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

"How does Polyjuice Potion come into this?" Ron asks.

I sigh. "It transforms you into someone else."

"It sounds a bit dodgy to me. What if we get stuck as Slytherins forever?" Ron frowns.

"It wears off after a while." I reply, shutting the book I was reading.

"But getting the recipe is going to be really difficult!" Hermione protests. "Snape said that it was in a book, it's in the Restricted-"

"That's not a problem." I reply. "Wait for a moment."

I run to my dormitory, and open my trunk. I pull out a book.

"This is Moste Potente Potions." I place it on the table that we're all seated around. "It has the recipe for Polyjuice Potion."

"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen." Hermione remarks.

"Well, not for me." I sigh. "We need lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass, powdered horn of bicorn, shredded skin of a boomslang, and a bit of who we're going to change into. Well, we're in luck. We can get the lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass from the student cupboard so we don't exhaust my personal stores, but the bicorn and the boomslang skin we'll have to take from my personal stores."

"What do you mean about a bit of whomever we're changing into?" Ron says, sharply. "I'm not drinking anything with Crabbe's toenails in it!"

"We'll add that last, Ron." I sigh. "And I'll make sure it's not a toenail, okay?"

"Okay."

"How long will it take to make?" Harry asks.

"A month."

"What? Malfoy could have killed half the muggle-borns in the school!" Ron exclaims.

"If you want to back out, fine. Hermione and I will do this alone, then." I snap.

"Alright, then, we'll do it." Ron sighs.

"Good." I say. "The fluxweed has to be picked at the full moon, and the lacewings have to be stewed for twenty-one days prior to making the potion, so we'd better start."

"But where?" Ron asks.

"Well, I've been keeping something from you." I confess. "Dumbledore let me create my own room, where I study. No one goes in there except for me, so we can brew it there. Come to think of it, I haven't used the potions room yet."

"Where is it?" Ron asks.

"Oh, I'll show you." I get up, picking up my book. We walk out of the common room.

The entrance to my study is a beautiful painting of flowers. I tap the flowers in the correct sequence. Then I place my hand on the gemstone in the middle of the painting.

"Welcome, Mira." A musical voice says. "Who are you bringing with you?"

"Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger."

"Will they be allowed access from now on, even when they are not with you?"

"Yes."

"Welcome back."

The painting swings open, and I stride into my study.

"Wow, you have so many books!" Hermione exclaims.

"Yes, this is where I store the ones I've finished."

I lead them into the potions room, where my cauldron is set up. With a wave of my wand, the cauldron fills with water. I drop the lacewing flies into it, and light a waterproof, portable fire under it.

"We'd better go back to the dormitory." I say, quietly, looking at my three yawning friends. "You look as though you're about to drop off."


	21. Chapter 21

"_Serpensortia_!" Draco shouts. The end of his wand explodes, and a black snake shoots out of it, heading towards Harry.

"Don't move, Potter, I'll get rid of it." Snape says lazily, raising his wand. There's a smile on his face.

"Allow me!" Lockheart shouts. He brandishes his wand at the snake. Instead of vanishing, it flies up into the air and lands back down with a loud smack, now thoroughly angered.

Enraged, it heads towards a Hufflepuff boy I don't recognize.

"_Leave him alone!_" Harry hisses. Only it's a real hiss, a snake's hiss. With a shudder, I realize that I understand what he's saying.

_Parseltongue. He's a Parselmouth._

_And I can understand him._

_I'm a Parselmouth._

The snakes stops, and stares at Harry.

"What're you playing at?" The boy shouts, and storms out of the hall.

Ron jumps onto the dueling platform, and drags Harry out of the hall. Hermione and I follow him, and we hurry into the empty Gryffindor common room.

"You're a Parselmouth!" Ron hisses, shoving Harry into an armchair. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"A what?" Harry looks puzzled.

"A Parselmouth. You can talk to snakes." I say, smoothly.

"I know." Harry says. "I mean, that's the second time I've done that. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Dudley at the zoo once. It's a long story, but it told me that it had never seen Brazil, and I sort of set it free without meaning to. That was before I knew I was a wizard, but-"

"A boa constrictor told you that it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeats, faintly.

"So what?" Harry says, his voice rising. "I'll bet lots of people here can do it, it must be-"

"It's not a common gift." Ron says. "Harry, this is bad."

"What's bad?" Harry is beginning to look quite angry. "What's wrong with all of you? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"Oh, so that's what you said to it?" Ron says.

"What do you mean? You were there, you heard me!"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language. You could have been saying anything. It was creepy, no wonder Justin panicked, and it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something."

"What? But how can I speak a different language without knowing it?" Harry looks at Ron and Hermione, who both look as though someone died. "Does anyone want to tell me what's so wrong with stopping a snake from biting off Justin's head?"

"Being able to talk to snakes is what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent." Hermione whispers.

"Exactly." Ron nods. "Now everyone's going to think that you're his descendant!"

"But I'm not!" Harry shouts.

"You'll find that hard to prove." Ron says. "He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know, you could be."

"You guys heard me speaking snake too?" Harry turns to Hermione and I. Hermione nods.

"Harry… I heard you telling the snake to leave you alone." I whisper.

"What?" Ron and Hermione turn to me. "You're a Parselmouth too?"

"Apparently." I reply. My usually dormant anger floods through me, sizzling. "If you start acting this way around me, I'll curse you. I will! I may be a Parselmouth, but that doesn't mean you can act all accusingly, like the way you were to Harry! He didn't know that he had this power, and it's not his fault that he does! But it's your fault for making him feel so rotten!"

I turn to Harry. His eyes are wide.

"Come on, Harry. Let's go to bed." He nods, and we go to our dormitories, leaving Ron and Hermione behind.


	22. Chapter 22

~Harry Potter~

"Wake up, Harry!" I sit bolt upright, and see Mira standing next to me. I blush, remembering that I'm in my pajamas. "Come on. Class has been canceled. Let's go eat, then we'll go see Justin."

"How did you know that I wanted to go see Justin?" I ask, climbing out of bed.

"It's obvious." She replies. "I'll be waiting in the Great Hall."

"Wait! Where are Ron and Hermione?" I ask.

"We're the first ones up, Harry." Then she leaves the dormitory.

I dress, and walk down to the Great Hall. I immediately notice Mira, who is the only one in the hall.

She spreads some butter on some toast as I sit down next to her.

"Good, Harry, you're here." She says, taking a bite. "Sausages?"

"Yes, please." I take one from her and begin cutting it up. "You know, I never knew that you could be angry like that."

She laughs softly. "I usually bottle up all my anger. I just couldn't control it last night."

"Well, thanks for standing up for me."

"For us." She smiles, and I find butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Why is class canceled?"

"There's a blizzard outside." Mira says casually, taking another bite of her bread. "Professor Sprout doesn't trust us to help with the mandrakes. She's tending to them alone. They're vital now that Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey have been petrified."

"What do you want to do before we try to find Justin?" I ask.

"I don't know. Do you have any homework you need help with?"

"Yes." I say, promptly. She smiles gently, finishing off her toast.

"Well then, Harry, I think that's what we should do. I'll be waiting in the library." She stands, and walks away, leaving me the only one in the Great Hall.

~Hermione Granger~

_I didn't know that Mira could become so angry._

_It was our fault; we were accusing Harry of trying to attack Justin. We were making him feel bad, and we knew it._

_Maybe we're just jealous of the attention he gets because he is the "Chosen One."_

_I don't know about Ron. But I feel jealous sometimes._

_And now I feel guilty._

_Is this the end of our friendship with Mira?_

_Is this the end of my friendship with her?_

"I feel bad about last night." I admit to Ron, watching one of his bishops wrestling my last knight off his horse.

"I do too. I didn't know Mira could be that fierce and angry. She's scary when she does that. Very scary." Ron says.

"We should apologize." I murmur, as my castle rams into his bishop.

"And what, get yelled at again?" Ron snorts.

"But it was our fault, Ron!"

"Maybe we should wait a little. We should wait for this to die down." Ron suggests.

"I don't care what you're going to do. I'm going to apologize, and now."

"But we haven't even finished this match!"

"Oh, fine. Right after this match." I relent, sitting down and watching my castle being shattered by one of Ron's knights.

~Mira Ollivander~

"Mira, look who it is." Harry nods towards the entrance of the library. I look. It's Hermione.

"Hi guys." Hermione says nervously, walking towards us.

I turn back to my book, ignoring her.

"Hi Hermione." Harry says.

"I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry that I was so accusing, and I'm sorry for all the things I said."

"I forgive you." Harry says.

"So, we're friends again?" Hermione asks.

"Definitely." Harry says. I nod, and Hermione relaxes.

"Hermione, help Harry with his homework. I need to return this book." I stand, leaving them.

As I walk towards the shelves to return my book, I hear a bunch of Hufflepuffs whispering behind the shelf.

"So anyway, I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory." A boy that I know from Herbology (what's his name? Oh, right, Ernie) says. "I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best he keeps a low profile for now. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told him he was down for Eton. That's not he kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"You definitely think it's Potter then, Ernie?" A girl with blonde pigtails asks, anxiously.

"Hannah, he's a parselmouth." Ernie replies. "Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself serpent-tongue. Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat is attacked. That first year, Creevey, was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know, Creevey's been attacked."

_I can't take anymore of this._ I step around the shelves to glare at them. "Excuse me."

They jump, and Hannah looks at me guiltily.

"Has it even occurred to you that one of Harry's best friends is Muggle-born?" I say, icily.

Ernie shrugs. "So? She hasn't been attacked. He just likes her because she's smart."

The next thing I know, Ernie's cheek is turning red, and my hand is stinging slightly. _I guess I still have leftover anger from Hermione and Ron._

"I sincerely hope I never have to hear you talking such nonsense about my friends again." I hiss. I turn on my heel and stalk away.


	23. Chapter 23

On Christmas morning, I shake Hermione awake. "Wake up, Hermione. The potion's ready."

"Great. Let's carry out the plan tonight." Hermione says, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, here's your present." She throws me a package.

"Can you give these to Harry and Ron?" I ask. "I need to add the final touches to our plan."

"Sure." She says, and exits the room after dressing.

When she comes back, I'm done with our plan. She hands me two presents. I open them, as well as the presents sent to me by others.

Hagrid has given me a tin of treacle fudge, and Ron has given me a box of deluxe sugar quills. Harry has given me a box of assorted candy, and Hermione has bought me a few books, as well as my grandfather. I also have a present from Mrs. Weasley, a hand-knitted sweater and a large plum cake.

After that, I walk to the Great Hall with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. I've forgiven Ron. We eat our food, and then I usher them all out into the hall for last-minute instructions.

"We still need a bit of who you're changing into." I tell them.

"Wait, what?" Ron exclaims. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No. I'll be watching, don't worry, but Polyjuice potion won't work on me."

"Why?" Harry asks.

"I'm part veela." I answer. "My mother was one, and my father's mother was one too."

"Mr. Ollivander married a veela?" Hermione says. I nod.

"No wonder every boy is so attracted to you." Ron says in awe. I roll my eyes.

"Back to the plan." I say. "I've got everything worked out." I hand Ron and Harry each a plump chocolate cake. "I've filled these with a simple sleeping draught, but added a spell as well. When they wake up, they won't remember these cakes, or eating them. They won't wake up, but if they do, I'll just find them and stun them.

"Now, Hermione already has her hair, from that girl she was dueling in the dueling club. So, Harry, Ron, go get the hairs."

~Harry Potter~

"They're coming." I hiss to Ron. "Quick, get behind the suit of armor!"

We hide behind it, peeping out at the two lumbering figures.

"Did you put the cakes on the banister?" Ron asks.

"Yes, now be quiet."

Crabbe gleefully points out the cakes to Goyle and grabs them. Grinning stupidly, they shove the cakes into their large mouths, whole, and begin chewing with a look of triumph on their faces. Then they keel over, without even the slightest change of expression.

~Mira Ollivander~

Thick black smoke billows around the cauldron. Three tumblers stand ready on the table next to it.

I look at the bubbling, glutinous potion. Satisfied that it is perfect, I lay _Moste Potente Potions _on the table, next to the tumblers.

Hermione stands next to me, fretting. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"It's fine." I reply. "All we need to do is wait for Harry and Ron to get here."

A moment after, they run into my secret room, shutting the door behind them.

"Did you get the hairs?" Hermione asks. They nod.

"Good." I say. "I got these spare robes out of the laundry, you'll need bigger ones when you're the Slytherins."

I ladle the potion into the tumblers, and hold out my hand to Hermione. She hands me the hair, and I drop it into the tumbler on the right. The potion fizzes and froths. A second later, it turns into a sickly yellow color.

"I bet it tastes disgusting." Ron eyes it with loathing.

"Add yours, then." I reply.

Harry drops his hairs into the middle glass, and Ron drops his into the last. They also fizz and froth. The potion with the hairs from Goyle turns into the khaki color of a booger, and Crabbe's turns into a dark, murky brown.

"The bathrooms are down that hallway." I point.

"Wow, you made this place really big." Harry says in awe.

"I can live here if I want." I reply. "Professor Dumbledore says I can move into here next year, when I'm not longer a student. Now go."

~Harry Potter~

"On three, okay?" I say, slipping into a stall in the bathroom. _Mira must have thought she might have visitors._

"Okay." Ron and Hermione reply.

"One, two, three!" I call. I pinch my nose and down the potion.


	24. Chapter 24

~Harry Potter~

At first, the only thing I register is that the potion tastes like overcooked cabbage.

But immediately after that, my stomach starts writhing as though I had just swallowed a live nest of snakes. I retch, but nothing comes out, as a burning sensation flows through my body and makes me feel like I'm melting. Then, it stops.

That's when I realize my feet are in pain and my robes have been ripped. I kick my shoes off with some difficulty, and pull off my old robes. I pull on the spare Goyle-sized robes, and lace up the huge boots. I take off my glasses, and tuck them safely into my pocket.

"Are you two okay?" I ask.

"Yeah." Ron replies in the deep voice of Crabbe.

I open the door and look at Goyle's face in the mirror. Ron stands beside me and prods Crabbe's face.

"This is unbelievable." He mutters.

"We'd better get going." I say. I check my watch, and then I wince as it pinches my skin.

"Okay. Come on, Hermione!" Ron calls.

"No, I don't think I'll be going. Go without me."

"Hermione-" Ron begins, but Hermione cuts him off.

"I really don't think I can come. Hurry up and go, you're wasting time!"

I shrug. "Okay, Hermione. I'll tell Mira."

"Yes, tell her." Hermione's voice is high and slightly panicked.

Ron and I walk out of the bathroom.

~Mira Ollivander~

"Where is Hermione?" I ask when Ron and Harry walk out of the bathroom, without Hermione.

"She says she's not coming." Ron replies.

I frown as they walk away. _Why would Hermione stay behind?_

I enter the bathroom and knock on the only locked stall. "Hermione, are you okay?"

There's the sound of the lock being turned, and Hermione walks out, her robes pulled up over her head.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I ask.

Hermione allows her robes to fall from her face, and I can feel my eyes widening in surprise.

Her face is covered entirely in black fur. Her eyes are yellow, and there are two long, pointed ears poking through her hair.

"It was a cat hair!" She howls.

"I think I can fix it." I murmur. "Just keep calm."

~Harry Potter~

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time." Ron gasps as he shuts the door to Mira's secret room, which seems more like a house.

The Polyjuice Potion's effect have ended, and Ron and I are back to being ourselves again. We had to sprint from the Slytherin common room while we were changing.

"I know we haven't found out who's doing the attacks," Ron says, "but I'm going to write to Dad and tell him to check under Malfoy's drawing room."

I put my glasses on and nod.

At that moment, Mira glides towards us. "Harry, Ron, you might want to come see Hermione."

She leads us down a passage in her "room" and opens a door. Inside is a bed, and Hermione is lying there. Her eyes are closed, but otherwise she seems normal.

"What's wrong with her?" I ask.

Hermione opens her eyes and sits up. Her eyes are yellow.

"The hair she got was a cat hair." Mira explains. "I've managed to get rid of the hair and ears, but the eyes require a long-term cure. You'll need to explain to all the teachers that she's sick. I'll take care of her."

"And I want my homework." Hermione adds.

"Okay." Ron sighs.


	25. Chapter 25

~Ron Weasley~

"What's that book you have there, Harry?" Hermione asks.

"Oh, we found it in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." I reply. "It's Tom Riddle's diary."

"It might have hidden powers!" Hermione gasps, snatching it from Harry.

"It's empty." Harry tells her.

"_Aparecium!"_ Hermione says, ignoring him. She frowns when nothing appears.

"What are you trying to do?" Harry asks.

"It might be written in invisible ink." Hermione pulls out what appears to be a bright red eraser from her bag. "It's a revealer." She rubs hard on the book.

"Hermione, there's nothing there." I say, exasperated. "Tom Riddle got a diary for Christmas, and he just couldn't be bothered to fill it in.

~Harry Potter~

The mood in the castle has grown more hopeful. There have been no more attacks, and the mandrakes are slowly leaving childhood, meaning that they'll be ready to cut and stew for the potion soon enough.

I think that perhaps the heir of Slytherin has lost his or her nerve. It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber with the school so alert.

Or even better yet, maybe the monster is settling down to hibernate for another fifty years…

Ernie doesn't take my point of view. Mira told me what he thinks of me, and he is convinced that I'm guilty. He keeps claiming that I "gave myself away" at the dueling club.

On the other hand, Lockheart seems to believe that he's made the attacks stop. I overheard him talking to McGonagall about it.

_"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva." Lockheart says, tapping his nose in a conspiratorial way. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time."_

_"You do, don't you." McGonagall says with withering contempt._

_Lockheart doesn't notice and continues babbling on. "The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, don't you think? If I'd found him, he would have had to deal with my full might."_

_"That's wonderful, Gilderoy. Don't you have a class soon?" McGonagall attempts to divert him._

_"No, I have a break right now. But anyways, what I was saying was I think this school needs a morale booster. You understand, to wash away all the bad memories. I won't say anymore, but I know just the thing…" His voice dies out as he taps his nose again and strides off._

_"Honestly!" McGonagall tuts, glaring at Lockheart's retreating back for a moment, before stalking back into her classroom._

Well, now we all know about his morale booster.

I stand in the doorway to the great hall, gaping. The walls are covered with large, lurid pink flowers. And even worse, there is red heart-shaped confetti falling from the ceiling.

I sit down next to Ron, who looks sickened. "What's going on?"

Ron shakes his head in a disgusted manner, and points to the teacher's table.

Lockheart, wearing lurid pink robes that rival the luridness of the wall decorations is waving his hands about for silence. The teachers look stony-faced. Even Dumbledore has a rather forced smile on.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockheart shouts, flashing his bright white teeth. "I would like to thank the forty-six people who have sent me cards. Yes, I have arranged this little surprise for you, but it doesn't end here!"

He claps his hands, loudly, and a dozen surly-looking dwarves wearing golden wings and carrying harps march in.

"My friendly, card carrying cupids!" Lockheart's smile, if possible, becomes even brighter. "They will be roving around school today delivering valentines!"

And that's when I stop paying attention, and begin concentrating on imagining throttling Lockheart.

~Mira Ollivander~

I start walking to Potions with the rest of my seventh year classmates when two dwarves approach me.

"Miss Ollivander, you have a Valentine's note." One of the dwarves says.

"Hey, me first!" The other hisses, jabbing him with his elbow.

"No, I'm going first!"

I sigh. _Sometimes being a beautiful part-veela is tiring._

"Gentlemen." I smile.

Instantly, they stop bickering.

"Perhaps you could go first, since you spoke up first." I say.

The first dwarf shoots a smug smile at the other, who scowls in return.

"Cedric Diggory hopes you have a wonderful Valentine's Day." He says, grinning widely at me. "He hopes you will accept this box of chocolates."

"Thank you." I say, taking the box from his hands.

"Well, Draco Malfoy also hopes you have a wonderful Valentine's Day." The second barges in. "He wants you to have this necklace."

He holds up a beautifully crafted gold necklace in the shape of a heart.

"Can you do me a favor?" I say, smiling at the dwarf sweetly.

"S-sure." He stutters.

"Please return the necklace to him, and tell him that I hope he drops dead."

"I'll do that." He grins, and totters off, along with the first dwarf.

Then, I see a horde of dwarves making their way towards me.

I sigh. _Oh, with the amount of people who want to give me valentines, I'll never make it to Potions_.


	26. Chapter 26

~Mira Ollivander~

I open the letter with shaking hands. Nova stands on my desk, preening.

Last week, I sent a message to my grandfather, telling him that I was a Parseltongue. I demanded an explanation, and here is his reply.

_My dearest granddaughter,_

_I sincerely apologize for not telling you about this earlier. However, your mother and father did make me promise not to tell you until something like this happened. And it did happen. So here is my explanation._

_You have told me that the sorting hat told you that you could have been put in any house. This is true. This is simply because within you runs the blood of all the founders._

_My mother was a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, while my father was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor. And I was born, a child of all four bloodlines. And then, I married your now-deceased grandmother, also a veela, and we had your father. He, too, married a veela._

_Now, veela blood has some interesting qualities to it. It enhances your blood. So now we have you, a powerful human that is three-quarters veela._

_You have inherited qualities from all four founders. What they are, I will leave your brilliant mind to deduce._

_However, your parents and I were surprised you did not inherit the veela's floating hair or shiny skin. Your hair seemed to float more than the regular human, and your skin is shinier, but we were surprised that you did not take on the complete veela appearance._

_But I believe we have an answer to this question. When a veela is angry, their faces elongate into a sharp, cruel-beaked bird head, they throw fire, and wings burst from their shoulders. I believe you possess some of these talents._

_Some childhood experiences further strengthen this hypothesis. When you were young, I saw you in our backyard, playing. You had put twigs in a tepee shape, and you were circling around the twigs. Then you stared at your hand, as though concentrating very hard. The next minute, your hand appeared to be on fire. Of course, I rushed out in a panic, only to see you enjoying a miniature bonfire in the middle of our backyard._

_The second childhood experience was when we planted an apple tree in our front yard. I was going to pick an apple for you, but when I went out of the house, you were already sitting in the tree, chewing on a juicy red apple. I scanned the tree, but saw no way you could have climbed up, so I asked you how you got up there. With apple juice running down your chin, you told me that you had flown up there. At that time, I dismissed it as lively imagination, but now that I think of it, you could have grown wings._

_I am sure that you possess some of these talents, whether you know it or not. Please write to me and tell me, if you do know that you possess these talents._

_Your loving grandfather,_

_Garrick Ollivander_

I close my eyes, and begin thinking hard. _Grandfather is right. I remember using fire and sprouting wings._

_Wow, being three quarters veela does have its perks._


	27. Chapter 27

~Mira Ollivander~

Harry told me that someone from Gryffindor stole Riddle's diary. However, he did say that Riddle told him that Hagrid was the one releasing the monster.

I am most skeptical of this. The name of Tom Riddle strikes me as very familiar, though I cannot place where it comes from. But I cannot believe that Hagrid, our friend, would let a monster loose in Hogwarts to kill Muggle-borns. Hagrid's very friendly to Hermione, and she is Muggle-born after all.

There haven't been any attacks since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick were attacked. Everyone seems to be relaxing, and Ernie seems to be relaxing around Harry as well. I'm not prepared to forgive him, especially the remark he made about Parseltongues.

Besides that, everyone's been choosing his or her third year subjects. Harry took the same classes as Ron, and Hermione signed up for everything. As I will be completing my NEWTs this year and moving onto being a teacher, or a tutor, I have no need to sign up for anything.

I look at my watch, and see that it's only six o'clock, but I can't go back to sleep. I sit up, stretch, and dress. After brushing my teeth, I look out and see a bright blue sky. Perfect weather for the Quidditch match planned today.

I pick up the note I have to mail to my grandfather. I wrote this note to tell him that I do remember conjuring fire and sprouting wings. I need more guidance on this matter.

I leave the Gryffindor dormitories and walk towards the owlery. Nova stands in her place, preening quietly.

"Hi Nova." I say quietly. She flutters down to me, and I feed her a piece of bread while I tie the note onto her leg. "Bring it to my Grandfather, okay?"

She hoots softly, and flies out of the owlery, vanishing from my sight in a few moments.

I gaze out of the window for a few moments, drinking in the cool morning air. Then I turn around, only to bump into someone.

"I'm sorry, I was-" I begin, when I notice that the person standing there is none other than Draco Malfoy.

"You don't have to apologize." He smirks.

"Malfoy." I spit. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a message to send to my father." He replies, coolly.

"And you just happen to come here at almost exactly the same time I did." I shoot back, folding my arms over my chest. _He can't have just happened to wake up at the same time as I do… the chances of that are miniscule._

"Of course." He ties his note onto the leg of a menacing looking black owl.

"Well, I'm done here, I'll be going." I snap, turning on my heel, only to be blocked by Malfoy.

"Not so fast." He purrs, and inwardly, I begin to panic. _What does he want with me?_

"What do you want?"

"I need to explain about what I did when I was younger."

I hold up a hand. "Malfoy, I don't need you to explain at all. You had your chance to be nice when you were young, and you blew it. Being pureblooded matters so much more to you than anything else."

"You haven't even let me explain." He says, walking towards me. I back away instinctively, only to feel a wall against my back. _Oh, darn it._

"Come on, Ollivander, you can't be mad at me forever." He corners me, and places his hands on either side of my face.

_I feel trapped._

"Yes, I can!"

He chuckles. "I doubt it. I could have any girl in this school if I tried hard enough. No one can resist my charms."

"Then why can I?" I snap back. I lift up my right hand to slap him, when he grabs my wrist.

"Don't even think about it." He says harshly.

I take a deep breath, but anger still fills my mind, filling me with energy.

The next thing I know, Malfoy is stumbling away from me, his hand an angry red color. A strange tingling has filled my right palm. I glance at it, and see that I appear to be holding a fire in the palm of my hand.

"What-how-" Malfoy gasps, and I realize his hand is red from my fire burning him. A savage triumph fills me, and I bounce the fire up and down in my hand in a menacing way.

"Go away, Malfoy." My voice is steely and cold, a contrast to the blazing flame I hold in my palm. "If you ever accost me again, you'll get an even worse burn. Do you understand me?"

He nods frantically and runs out of the owlery. I allow myself a small smile before extinguishing the fire.


	28. Chapter 28

~Mira Ollivander~

I walk out onto the Quidditch pitch, only to see Professor McGonagall standing in the middle of the pitch, holding a large purple megaphone.

"This match has been cancelled. All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"

Everyone begins walking towards the castle. McGonagall waves Harry over to her, then beckons to me.

"You two had better come with me." She says, and when Ron comes up, she doesn't protest.

"What's going on?" Harry asks.

"There has been another attack." McGonagall leads us swiftly to the Hospital Wing. "A double attack."

On one bed lies the female Ravenclaw prefect. On the other bed lies a curly haired girl we all know.

"Hermione!" Ron groans.

_Oh, no, not Hermione…_

"This was found lying next to them." Professor McGonagall holds up a small, circular mirror. "Do you know what this might be about?"

Harry and Ron shake their heads. After a moment, I do too.

"Very well. I will escort you to Gryffindor Tower." Professor McGonagall ushers us out of the hospital wing.

_A mirror._

_A ghost._

_A camera._

_Water._

I suck in a deep breath.

_Reflective, or something one would see something through._

_Hagrid's roosters were killed._

_Spiders are fleeing the castle._

_Basilisk._

_That would explain why Harry and I keep hearing that voice… in the walls._

_Hmm… the walls…_

Once Professor McGonagall is done talking to us, I draw Harry and Ron to the side of the dormitory.

"It's a basilisk. The king of serpents." I watch him closely.

"So that's why we keep hearing…" He stops, looking around.

"Yes, that's why." I give Ron a glare as he makes a face.

"Sorry." Ron hastily steps back.

"Wait, remember, a girl died the last time the chamber was open. Who was it? Maybe she's a ghost around here. We can ask her to confirm what we know." Harry frowns.

"The girl died in a bathroom." Ron says, knitting his eyebrows.

"What if she never left?" I tilt my head.

"Moaning Myrtle!" Harry hisses. "Should we tell Professor McGonagall?"

"No, it's late. We can find her tomorrow, during break." I reply.

I begin walking up the stairs. "And Harry?"

"Yeah?" He looks up.

"Remember to keep your dad's cloak somewhere near."

The next day, we rush through our first and second class. We rush up the stairs to the staff room, where the teachers will be during break, and wait for them anxiously.

But the bell to signal break doesn't come.

Instead, Professor McGonagall's voice comes echoing through the corridor, magically magnified.

"All students are to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers, return to the staff room. Immediately, please."

I stare at Harry and Ron.

"Is it another attack?" Harry asks.

"What should we do? Go back to the dormitory?" Ron turns to me.

"No, we can hide in this wardrobe." I open the door, and see that it's full of cloaks. "We'll be able to hear them."

We hide in it, and listen to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open.

A little crack in the wardrobe door enables us to watch the teachers filing in. Some look puzzled, and others look scared.

Then, Professor McGonagall arrives.


End file.
